


Helpless in Nature

by orphan_account



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Body Horror, Mild Gore, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-13 09:41:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4517043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something isn’t quite right at the tiny little shack in the woods. No one really knows why though, but the younger Pine’s twins do. Escape is their only option, or so they think.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Helpless in Nature

The wind howled against the old wooden shack, it’s cries carrying through the house like that of a screaming woman. Only Dipper was never quite sure if it were truly the wind, or if it were something else in the night. He would always find himself pulling his pillow over his head and rolling onto his side. There his eyes would meet his sisters. A shared look sent chills down both of their spines as there was a crash from downstairs. Mabel flinched, and Dipper held his breath. They fell asleep soon after, ignoring the sounds of the meat grinder from the kitchen.

The next morning the twins awoke to a putrid smell that had an underlying sweet tinge that made the twins stomachs clench in both disgust and hunger. They were slow to rise from the warmth of their covers. Slower still were they to get dressed.

Mabel spent more time than needed brushing her long brown hair, and Dipper dragged his feet when it came to brushing his teeth. A sudden shout from the dining room had both children scrambling down from the attic in a frantic attempt to make it to breakfast before their grunkles would become angry.

The kitchen was warm, and the air smelled much sweeter down here. Mabel smiled and threw her arms around her Grunkle Stanley and kissed his cheek. “Good morning!”

Dipper was much more reserved as he sat next to their other Grunkle, Stanford. Dipper had always found it strange how they had similar names, as if their parents weren’t very creative. Not that Dipper’s were much better. He didn’t really like to think about them, or his real name. The only person who knew of his given name was Mabel, and she was smart enough to not mention it.

“I decided to try a new method of cooking kids, give it a shot.”

The younger twins exchanged a glance but picked up their forks and slipped them beneath the strangely sweet concoction. It almost slid off their forks but Mabel was quick to press the utensil passed her lips. Dipper watched as her Jaw moved slowly and she tasted the food. A please smile spread over her face and Dipper deemed it safe to take his own bite.

“It’s delicious!” They said in unison. It certainly was. The texture was a bit heavy on their tongues but there was a slow cooked sweetness and spice hat mixed well as it traveled over their taste buds and down their throats. Yet as it settled into their stomachs, both children felt nausea creep up and Mabel thought of happy things, while Dipper counted down from ten to keep the bile from rising from their stomachs.

The rest of the meal passed by without issue and soon the twins would excuse themselves to get ready for school.

School for Dipper, was simple and easy. For Mabel it was a challenge and often she would find herself looking to her brother for help with things she did not understand. Dipper would often look to his sister when he needed help organizing a project. For someone so intelligent, he certainly was not good about keeping things in order. Together they were a great team.

Mabel stared at the lunch food sitting on the tray in front of her, and Dipper gently elbowed her. “I know it’s not like Grunkle Stan’s food, but we’ve got to eat it.” Mabel felt tears well up in her eyes and she took a deep breath before forcing the dry, and crumbling biscuit passed her lips. She quickly tossed it down and pushed the tray away. “I can’t do it Dipper.” She choked and shook her head. Dipper himself was no better, his own tray untouched. With shaking hands he drew her into a hug and ignored the strange looks they received.

The day would pass mostly uneventful for the twins up until the very end. Dipper a few missteps into walls and random bouts of anger from Mabel. They were uncharacteristic and the teachers had started to worry about the poor girls health. But when asked to speak about her home life, she had nothing but good things to say. She seemed the perfect picture of mental health. 

Today was one of those days where the school counselor pulled her and Dipper aside.

The twins sat tight lipped; Mabel’s legs crossed demurely, and Dipper rigid as a board as he waited for them to interrogate them once again.

The counselors hair was falling from it’s carefully crafted bun, her face was wrinkled and she appeared tired. There were quite a lot of troubled kids at Gravity Falls Elementary. For many, many reasons. Most pertained to the supernatural. She must have had it tough. Dipper almost felt sorry for her. If it weren’t for the fact that she was going to cause them to be late for dinner, that is.

He tapped his fingers against his knee as she spoke to Mabel, almost like he wasn’t even there. Which was fine. Mabel was the pro at making up stories, or lying through her teeth. Dipper had the tendency to stutter or trip over his lies when he tried to paint the picture of perfection. Mabel’s words flowed freely from her mouth, like running tap water that got hot, or cold, depending on what the situation called for. She was a mastermind, Dipper really looked up to her sometimes.

“Miss Pines, you realize we only call you in here because we worry for you. Only a few months ago you were a perfectly sweet little girl. Now you’re yelling at Miss Grenda for something she couldn’t possibly have controlled.” Mabel remained silent for a few moments, a look of guilt crossing her features that was far from fake. Grenda was one of her best friends after all. “I apologize, Ms, Susan. I just had a bad night’s sleep last night, a nightmare you see.” she smiled sadly. “I assure you it will not happen again.” This was not how Mabel would normally talk, but just like their Grunkle she tended to change her face depending on who she was speaking to. It was eerie to not see his normally goofy and bright sister acting that way to the counselor.

Dipper tuned out of the conversation then, stomach giving a soft growl. After about ten minutes of Lazy Susan, as the kids called her behind her back, trying to get Mabel to spill something that was surely there, but the brunette was too stubborn to reveal, Dipper lost his patience. “Ms. Susan, we really need to get home. If we’re late for dinner we’ll have extra chores to do.” he spoke quickly, agitated tapping of his feet and tremors from his fingers.

Mabel reached over and wrapped her hands around her brothers and their gazes met. He seemed to calm down and they nodded, as if communicating silently. “Thank you for your concern Ms. Susan. I will be sure to tell you if something happens.” Mabel smiled softly, and it seemed to disarm the worried counselor who simply nodded at the two children as they escaped from the room.

Hand in hand the Pines twins made their way home.

They hesitated at the threshold and Dipper took a deep breath, holding it as he opened the front door. “So glad you finally decided to join us.” Grunkle Ford’s voice seemed distant and cold and both twins tensed, hanging their heads in shame as they removed their Fall jackets and nice school shoes. The uniforms ties and vests were hung up neatly and the children made their way to the dinner table.

They took their designated seats and shared a frightened look before schooling their features and in unison; “I’m sorry Grunkle Ford. Ms. Susan kept us late after school.”

“Again? You kids need to stay out of trouble.” He remarked as he took another bite of his food. The twins meal sat before them and they started to eat without arguing. It didn’t matter that they had not been in trouble, it only mattered that they had been late. This time the meal tasted stale, and cold. It wasn’t very appetizing at all. But the children still ate it.

That night the twins sat in their night clothes, facing each other from opposite sides of the room. There was music playing from downstairs; it belted out from an old turntable that, when younger, the twins would often joke about being older than their Grunkles. But those Summer’s had ended abruptly two years prior. And shortly after they were sent to live with the brothers. Their parents had fallen victim to a rash string of serial killings. The older Pines twins were their closest kin. So they were shipped off to a new life in a very familiar territory.

Only it wasn’t the same.

“Dipper…”

“I know Mabes, I know. Tonight is the night,”

Three hours would pass and the wind buffeted the side of the house once more, and the screams from the basement would start. They flinched as they quickly dressed in their clothes and grabbed the two satchels they kept under their beds. They had been planning this for over a month. Tonight was the perfect night to slip out unnoticed. The moon did not shine in the sky, and the stars blacked out by heavy rain clouds that had yet to spill their contents down to the dry, needy earth.

They slipped out the backdoor, silent as robbers in the night. They slipped through the back yard and into the forest. Their grunkles were more likely to watch the front of their tiny little shack than the back; Stanley often enjoyed a late night cup of coffee and cast his eyes towards the town in the evenings. So it was best to avoid a direct path.

The twins knew the forest like the back of their hands, they were not scared of the trees. The trees were just wood, and wood were just trees. It would be okay.

Hand in hand the twins navigated the dark forest, tripping occasionally over an upturned root. It soon became apparent that they had become lost. Dipper was stubborn, refused to believe it and Mabel was weary and tired. They must have been walking for hours.

Finally up ahead the twins saw a faint glow. With hope in their hearts they approached the tiny cottage that was nestled among the trees. At first glance, it looked abandoned. Old and decrepit. But the door opened, as if expecting them. A kind blonde male; tall and lithe greeted the twins. “Oh my, my. You little ones must have been wandering in those words for hours. Your clothes are tattered and you looked exhausted! Come in, come in.”

Dipper was unsure, but Mabel welcomed the warmth from inside and easily went inside. Dipper’s gaze met the golden eyes of the male and he felt his blood run cold. Gold was not a normal color for eyes. “Come on in Dipper, it’s warm and I’ll keep you well fed.” His mind seemed to be lulled into a stupor as he stepped over the threshold. No longer was he weary of this golden voiced man with the golden eyes and fancy golden clothes and jewelry. Nor was he worried that somehow, he knew Dipper’s name and said fed, rather than safe. All Dipper knew was that he was warm, and Mabel was there; happily the young child tore into what looked to be a scrumptious duck or possibly chicken.

They hadn’t had real meat in ages.

Dipper sat across from Mabel and started to eat. The stranger sat at the head of the table with a pleased cheshire grin etched over his handsome features.

A week would pass and the children were fattened up. They lived happily in the little hidden cottage with the nice man, who kept them fed and happy. As well as lulled into a false sense of security. It was when that week was up that the children realized something deadly was going on inside this warm little home.

One cool morning the children were running around in the backyard. Dipper laughing as he looked over his shoulder at Mabel. Not paying attention to where his feet fell he let out a surprised sound as he tripped over something. He groaned and laughed as Mabel tackled him against the ground and they rolled around in the dirt, fighting to be the alpha twin. Only when they were both relaxing against the dirt did Dipper sit up to check what he had tripped open.

It was a pale tan, not white, not brown and he was curious as he dug it from the ground.He paled and held it up for Mabel to see. “Dipper is that…?” she paled and hit it from his hand. It skidded across the ground and stopped only to face the twins. Two cracked eye sockets void of the blue or green or brown eyes that once inhabited the space.

They needed to get away.

That night, they tried to pretend things were okay. But Bill, who they had learned was the name of their kind guardian the day after he took them in, could tell something was off. His eye narrowed in on their hands, covered in dirt. Quickly Dipper hid his dirty nails from sight under the table and Bill felt rage boil up inside of him. But he kept a pleasant smile on his face.

To Mabel and Dipper, however, the smile was far from pleasant. It looked strained, and sinister. They shook under his gaze and he gave a haughty laugh. “Naughty children. You shouldn’t go digging around where you are not welcomed.” His voice cracked; low and husky as he stood from the table.

They tried to run, but he gripped Mabel by her hair and dragged her over the the birdcage where he kept a parrot; it was fairly large for the medium sized bird. He reached in and gripped it by the neck. It squawked and there was a sickening crack as he tossed the dead creature onto the ground next to the cage. He threw Mabel in and locked the door. She cried out and slammed her fists against the metal enclosure. “Dipper! Run! Get away! Get Grunkle Stan!”

It was too late though. Dipper had found it strange that a simple door in the middle of the woods needed six locks, but now he knew why. Before he could get the last one done a hand gripped the back of his neck and he cried out. He was dragged kicking and screaming to the cage. He was forced inside with Mabel. Both twins shook in fear and held onto each other as Bill gave them a sad look. “I was truly hoping you could grow a little more before I made supper. But this will do I suppose.”

He turned his back to the cage and made his way to the oven in the corner, bringing it to life with a warm blaze. No match in sight. He had to have been a witch. The twins exchanged a glance and Mabel crawled forward. She tested the lock and it was a simple one at that. She pulled a bobbypin from her hair and worked slowly at it. Bill seemed fairly absorbed in his preparations so she wasn’t worried about being caught.

With a quiet click the locked popped off and she caught it in her hand before it could hit the ground. The twins slowly climbed from the cage, careful to keep the squeaking as quiet as possible.

Bill was bent over the over, using a simple pump to help the fire grow.

The twins approached him and with a sudden push he toppled into the oven. He screeched and screeched, The children shut the door and locked in in place. Magic fired off randomly and they ducked under the table for safety.

After about ten minutes the twins shared a look and climbed out from under the table. The putrid smell of burning flesh attacked their senses as they opened the oven. Using tongs found at the side of the oven they worked carefully to pull the burnt body from the fire. They stared down at the charred remains and then stepped over to the table.

The twins shared a look, and then too the body on the ground their eyes did travel. “We’re just as bad, aren’t we?” Mabel’s voice was small as she spoke, sorrow filling her tone. Her hands shook and she pressed them too her chest, trying to will back tears. Dipper reached over the table and took her hand. “He’s going to be angry, when we get back.” She nodded slowly.

After the body had cooled the twins picked him up with much effort and laid him out on the table. Mabel found a grater and started to grate the charred outer portion of his body. The skin underneath was succulent and smelled wonderful. They did not have the skills their Grunkle Ford did, but it couldn’t taste that bad.

Dipper grabbed a knife as Mabel was careful to remove all traces of clothing. He cut into his stomach and gave a weary laugh as his entrails spilled onto the table. “It’s not cooked all the way through Mabes. Should we still eat?” The brunette peaked over the body and gave a shrug.

Dipper dug his hands deep into the hole he made, slowly disemboweling the same man who wanted to kill them. It had happened quickly, and honestly neither twin expected it to work out. But it had. Dipper set to cutting the entrails up, and taking them to the sink to wash them of any waste or byproduct that could possibly still be inside.

Dipper watched as the blood was cleaned from his hands and he smile slightly. He would take up the family business. There were so many lost people that came to the Mystery Shack; Home for the Homeless. No one noticed them going missing, and the shack sold some of the best meat in town. If only they knew the secret.

Mabel was carefully organizing the organs and she sighed, staring down at her bloodied hands. “We wanted to run away.. but, after this week. I don’t think I can see us doing anything else Dip Dop.” she sounded relieved. As if she had known this would be the outcome and was afraid that it would be different.

Dipper smiled and moved to hug his sister. “It’s okay Mabel, everything worked out.”

They would later sit down to dine in. Their faces covered in blood and the properly cooked food before them was eaten in haste. Of course, not all of it was. They would take the body and dump it in the woods to feed the wildlife.

The twins trekked through the woods until they made it home. Lee was pissed, and Ford was grateful as he scooped the children up in a hug. “Oh heavens I was afraid you wouldn’t return.” The twins laughed gleefully as they hugged their Grunkle.

“Well, we’re back now, and we want to learn the family trade, please.” The older man looked shocked, but a pleased grin soon spread over his face and he clapped the children on the shoulders.

“I would be more than happy too!”


End file.
